Embalming stopper



Sept. 9, 1958 A. J. RYPYSC 2,850,788

EMBALMING STOPPER Filed May 11, 1956 INVENTOR. ALBERT J. RYPYSC United States Patent EMBALMING STOPPER Albert J. Rypysc, Chicopee, Mass.

Application May 11, 1956, Serial No. 584,373

1 Claim. (Cl. 27-21) This invention is concerned with embalming devices, and particularly with those types of embalming devices employed to close the opening in the body made by a trocar.

Most mortuaries, in embalming the human body, make an aperture or opening in the stomach or abdominal wall of the corpse to draw off the body fluids, and then inject into the cavity created thereby an embalming fluid. In order to keep this embalming fluid in the body and to prevent it from leaking out the opening, it is necessary to close up the aperture. It is obviously neither healthy nor pleasant smelling to have the fluid escape. Attempts have been made to provide a button for sealing the aperture. The buttons that are presently in common use have several infirmities. Among others, they are not selfcutting into the skin wall of the corpse, and often freeze in position when it becomes necessary to change the fluid.

It is an object of the within invention to provide a button or seal to enclose a trocar aperture in a corpse that has a sharp cutting point and edge.

It is yet another object of the within invention to provide a button seal that has means that enable it to be removed easily from the corpse.

It is still another object of the within invention to pro vide a button seal that is so designed that it will selfthread into the layers of skin of the corpse.

These and other objects are obtained by the use of an inverted conical shaped button that has a cutting point at its lower portion, and has cutting threads circumscribing its outer conical periphery. Atop this button is an arrangement whereby the person using the button may turn same with his fingers or with a coin of currency, and the like, and also has means whereby in the event that it is desired to release the button a pencil or similar instrument may be inserted therein, giving extra leverage to disengage the button from the aperture in the corpse. These and other objects of the invention are best explained and may be more easily seen and understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the conical shaped button.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the button looking down on the view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the button, looking up toward the bottom of Figure l.

The handle portion 1 is semi-circular in shape. Bisecting it is a coin type slit opening 2 which extends into a circular opening 3 having indentations therein, indicated as 8. The handle 1 is connected to the top 5 which is circular and flat in shape. The top 5 has connected thereto the inverted conical shaped cutting portion. This conical shaped cutting portion comprises the main penetrating point 7 and the helical thread 6. The thread 6 has an inclined surface that extends inwardly and upwardly toward the center longitudinal axis of said conical portion and a continuous cutting edge 4. This arrangeice ment facilitates the self-threading of the button in the flesh of the corpse.

The slope or taper of the conical shaped cutting portion with respect to its longitudinal axis is not critical so long as the thread 6 is self-locking in the flesh of the corpse, being somewhat analogous to a screw in wood. Of course here the problem is different because the flesh is soft and easily torn. The design of the thread 6 with its cutting edge 4 is therefore of prime importance. The thread 6 is inclined in the opposite direction from the periphery of the conical portion. An imaginary triangle is thereby formed locking the flesh of the corpse with the button, and preventing leaks as well as tears.

The operation of this conical shaped button is quite simple.

After the mortuary or embalmer has drawn ofl the body fluids with a trocar, has replaced the cavity created thereby with an embalming fluid and has removed the trocar from the stomach or abdominal wall of the corpse, it is necessary now to seal up the opening so as to contain the embalming fluid therein.

The operator or em balmer merely takes the button disclosed herein, holds it by the handle 1 and turns it in the direction of the threads which consist of the continuous thread 6 and the cutting edge 4 until the top 5 has come down on the external surface of the body of the corpse. It is to be noted that the cutting or penetrating point 7 lets the sharp cutting edges 4 enable the embalmer to turn this self-threading seal easily. The helical inclined thread 6 and cutting edge 4 form a thread or channel in the skin and flesh layer of the corpse, similarly as a screw in a piece of wood.

In many instances the corpse is kept several days, such as during transit or when bereaved families are awaiting the arrival of a next of kin from a distant place. In such situations it is necessary to replace the embalming fluid. It therefore becomes expedient to remove the conical button, draw off the embalming fluid and replace it with fresh fluid. Most of the time, the buttons known and used prior to this invention freeze into position by the reaction of the embalming fluid and the contraction of the skin of the corpse. It is very diflicult to remove these buttons. However, because of the design of this conical button, if a coin inserted in the opening 2 will not supply enough leverage to remove the button, then a pencil or circular instrument may be placed longitudinally into the opening 3. The point or area 3 is the fulcrum and the instrument inserted therein is the lever arm. It is very simple to remove the button with such an arrangement.

Since trocars used for embalming are manufactured in various sizes, it is contemplated that the size of the within invention may be varied to complement the size of the trocar openings. It is further to be noted that the person using this seal is at all times safe and is under no chance to become out and thereby infected by any poisons that might come out from the corpse.

Dimensions in the drawing have been exaggerated to teach more expeditiously the within invention.

Plastic material or metal may be employed in the menu facture of the button without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In consideration of the foregoing disclosure, I claim:

A button for sealing apertures caused in a corpse from the introduction of embalming fluid by an embahning appliance, said button having a handle in the shape of a semi-circular flat vertical disc, a slotted vertical opening at the top of the handle connecting with a circular opening within the center area of the handle, an inverted conical shaped cutting portion below said handle having a flat disc-like upper surface, said disc-like surface lying in a horizontal plane and being perpendicularly connected to said vertical handle, a penetrating point at the References Cited in the file of this patent bottom of said conical shaped portion, a continuous heli- UNITED STATES PATENTS cal thread having an outside cutting edge extending from said penetrating point to said disc-like surface and cir- 375,205 Shelton 20, 1837 cumscribing the periphery of said conical shaped portion, 5 449,037 Chapman 24, 1391 said thread having a surface inclined inwardly and up- 1,260,154 Day Mali 19, 1918 Wardly toward the center longitudinal axis of said conical 2,437,381 Cullen 1948 portion from said outside cutting edge, the taper of said conical surface being such as to distend the skin about the aperture to form a leak-tight seal within and over the 10 aperture. 

